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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — farmland
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. field — for sport
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — a subject
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — the season
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com